Under The Weather, Lance?
by Red Witch
Summary: Lance catches a cold due to his adventures at the aquarium.


****

The penguin ate the disclaimer that I don't own X-Men Evolution characters. Yes this is a sequel to "Everybody Loves Penguins." I was on a roll. Ever have a story line that takes a life of it's own? I started with Lunchtime with the Brotherhood and it just kept going! Hopefully this will finish it so I can go on to something new and crazier. 

**Under the Weather, Lance?**

"Can you believe that they found stuff in the water for real?" Todd said as they walked into the house after a short day at school.

"I always knew there were chemicals in the water," Pietro zipped in. "That's why I always drink the bottled stuff! See now aren't you guys glad I frightened Kelly into checking the water supply?"

"Thrilled," Lance groaned as he stumbled in. 

"Yes!" Pietro strutted. "Not only do I drive Kelly nuts, but I get credit for alerting him to the problem which makes me a hero at the same time! I get us all out of school early for another extra long weekend, while the Board of Education is thrown into a panic! Plus we had such a wonderful time driving the X-Geeks nuts and you got Kitty a present! I am so good!"

"Oh yeah?" Lance snarled. "Well Kitty wasn't exactly thrilled about the penguin."

"I thought she'd like it?" Todd asked.

"So did I," Lance flopped on the couch. "But she didn't. Now she thinks I'm a penguin thief."

"You should have heard the tongue lashing he got," Todd snickered. 

"Why didn't you just tell her we got it for a pet but you wouldn't let us keep it?" Fred asked.

"Oh yeah I'll tell the girl I love I gave her a used penguin," Lance drawled. "That will really get me in good with her!" 

"Hey Lance you don't look so good," Tabitha said. "You look greener than Toad here."

"Not quite," Todd studied his face. "But keep up the good work. You're getting there."

"I feel awful," Lance moaned. "I knew I shouldn't have jumped in that aquarium with you guys. I must have picked up something."

"Hey we didn't get sick," Todd said.

"Nope, I feel fine," Pietro said.

"Like I said…" Lance began before Pietro and Todd hit him with pillows. "Ow. I'm going to bed," He stumbled upstairs.

"Hmmm," Pietro wondered. "Now what should I say in my acceptance speech."

The other members of the Brotherhood looked at him. "What?" Todd asked.

"When they give me the key to the city for saving the school from contaminated water," Pietro explained. 

"Oh brother," Todd groaned. "We're gonna hear about this all weekend."

Later that day Lance lay on the bed in agony. His muscles were sore and he felt as if he was on fire. "I'm gonna die…" He muttered to himself. "I'm gonna die…"

"Lance are you okay?"

"Kitty?" Lance looked up from his bed. He saw Kitty standing before him. She was wearing a long white gown and her hair was adorned in flowers. She seemed to glitter as she stood by his side. 

"It's okay Lance," The sparkling Kitty spoke to him like an angel of mercy. "I'm here now. Everything is going to be all right. I'm going to take care of you my darling."

"Kitty," Lance sighed. "My beautiful Kitty…I love you…you are so perfect…you are my angel…my miracle," He took her hand and held it to his cheek. "I love you."

Back in the real world Todd stood there stunned while Lance stroked his hand. "Guys?" He yelled out, a hint of panic in his voice. "I think Lance has lost it yo!" 

"Kitty…" Lance sighed happily, stroking his hand. 

"What's going on?" Pietro zipped in. The others followed him.

"Kitty kiss me!" Lance sighed as he tried to pull Todd closer to him.

"No way!" Todd said out loud.

"Okay!" was what Lance heard from the Kitty image in his head. Lance puckered up. 

"I think Lance is delirious or something," Tabitha felt his forehead. "Man, he's burning up!" 

"Kitty…" Lance smiled. "Kitty…"

"Quickie I think you'd better go steal some medicine or something," Tabitha told him. "Fred you go make some soup and get him some ginger ale and don't eat it yourself!" 

"Okay," Fred went out of the room.

"Yeah I guess I can put off working on my acceptance speech for a while," Pietro sighed. "But after that I really have to decide what outfit I am going to wear for the photographers. Toad you should stay with Lance, he seem so happy in his little dream world," Pietro snickered as he took off.

"Lance ain't the only one living in a dream world," Todd sighed. "Tabby can you at least get him to let go of my hand here? This is creeping me out!"

"Lance honey," Tabitha stroked his hair. "It's going to be okay now. You'll be fine. We're going to get you some medicine and you'll be all better. Why don't you let go of Toad's hand now."

Lance looked at her with dazed eyes. "Mommy?" He asked in a small voice.

"Oh of all the times for the camera to not be working," Todd shook his head as he pulled his hand away.

"Yeah Lance it's Mommy," Tabitha rolled her eyes. "Now be a good little boy and get some sleep."

"Can you tell me a story?" Lance blinked.

"I got a story," Todd said. "Once there was a nut who…"

"Toad!" Tabitha snapped. "Go help Fred and make sure he's not eating Lance's soup will ya?"

"Okay," Todd hopped away. 

"Kitty…" Lance tried to sit up. "Kitty where are you going? Don't go Kitty!"

"Kitty's coming right back," Tabitha sighed as she tucked him into bed. "She has to go get some happy dust for you or something."

"Okay," Lance sighed and closed his eyes.

"Well we are going to have some fun this weekend," Tabitha sighed. "Where's Pietro? How long can it take him to steal some medicine?" 

About a half-hour later Pietro still didn't come back. Todd and Fred came up with his soup and ginger ale and some crackers. "How's he doin' yo?" Todd asked. "He still think you're his mama?" 

"Oh yes," Tabitha sighed, resting her chin on one hand. "We also had a visit from Happy the Bunny, a pink zebra named Frank and for some reason Abraham Lincoln came to visit."

"Boy when he gets a fever he really goes nuts doesn't he?" Todd said. 

"What's keeping Pietro?" Tabitha snarled.

"You mean he hasn't got that medicine yet?" Todd's eyes widened. "What happened?"

"I'm hoooome!" Pietro's voice sang out. 

"Well it's about time!" Tabitha snarled, storming out the door. "Where have you been? If you've been fooling around…"

"Relax Tabby, everything's okay!" Pietro walked in with Kitty behind him.

"What's she doing here?" Tabitha pointed. 

"Hey calm down," Pietro said. "I figured they'd have better medicine at the mansion. Plus I brought the real Kitty here to see for herself what she put this guy through."

"Lance?" Kitty went by Lance's bedside. "Oh man Lance you're burning up!"

"Kitty?" Lance's eyes fluttered open. "What…it is you."

"Yeah that's the real Kitty," Todd pointed out. "Not me! Do you know who I am?" 

Lance looked at him for a full minute. His eyes widened. "General Grant!" He sat up in his bed and saluted. "The enemy is preparing a surprise attack sir! We have to call the militia!" 

"Oh man I think somebody's been studying the Civil War a little too long," Todd groaned. "Okay private settle down. Just rest and let Kitty take care of you."

"Mommy," Lance looked at Tabitha. "This is Kitty, the one I told you about."

"He thinks I'm his mom," Tabitha explained. "You got that medicine on you?" 

"Right here," Kitty began to prepare it. 

"You guys can go now," Tabitha said. "We'll take it from here."

"Wait a minute," Fred said. "I gotta see who he thinks I am. Hey Lance!"

Lance looked at him long and hard. "President Lincoln?"

"Well this may explain why Lance is having such a hard time in history," Pietro chuckled. 

Lance looked at Pietro. "Scarlet O'Hara?" He said. "What are you doing here! I told you it's over between us!" 

The entire room erupted in laughter. Pietro sulked. "This is the thanks I get for being such a nice guy. I save the school from contaminated water and bring Lance his Kitty cat in his time of need, and what to I get? I am not appreciated around here!"

"Frankly Scarlet we don't give a darn," Todd chuckled. 

"I'm out of here," Pietro zipped out. "I have an acceptance speech to write!" 

"Come along General," Fred chuckled. "Let's leave Lance alone with Kitty and his mommy."

"Yes Mr. President," Todd saluted and snickered as they followed him out. 

"They're gonna have fun with this for months," Tabitha sighed. "You see what that idiot puts himself through for you?"

"Oh Lance I didn't mean to be so mad at you," Kitty sighed as she gave him his medicine. "You meant well…"

"You're not mad at me anymore?" Lance blinked.

"No," She shook her head.

"Oh brother," Tabitha rolled her eyes. 

The next day…

"Feel better," Tabitha fluffed his pillows. 

"Yeah," Lance nodded. "Thanks Tabby. For taking care of me and stuff."

"No biggie," She nodded. "I'm just glad it turned out to be a 24 four hour bug."

"Kitty was here right?" Lance said. "I didn't dream that?"

"Nope," Tabitha shook her head. "She came. Spoon fed you and everything." 

Lance sighed happily and turned slightly red. "Uh…did I say anything weird while I was sick?"

"Well…" Tabitha began. 

Todd walked in. "Presenting the President of the United States!" He then began to play the presidential theme song on a kazoo.

Fred walked in with a black jacket, fake beard and stovepipe hat. "Four Score and Seven years ago…" He said. 

"Oh no," Lance held his head in his hands. 

"Our founding fathers planted the tree of this great nation," Fred continued. "Unfortunately it was nut tree. But it is a tree of many nuts! Peanuts, walnuts, pistachios, almonds, cashews, pecans, macadamias…and so on." 

"Make him stop…" Lance moaned.

"I have a dream!" Fred spread his hands wide. "That the great bowl of this nation be filled with all sorts of nuts! Mixed together…"

"That's it!" Lance threw a pillow at him. "I get the picture!" 

"I think Freddy has even more trouble in history than you do Lance," Tabitha laughed.

"I DON"T BELIVE THIS!" Pietro's voice filled up the house.

"Speaking of nuts," Todd smiled as Pietro zipped in. He was holding a newspaper and he didn't look very happy.

"I can't believe it!" Pietro looked through the paper furiously. "I'm not in here! Not one mention of my name! That glory hog Kelly got all the credit! Read this!"

He threw down the paper on the bed. Lance picked it up and read the headline. "Bayville Principal Honored for Clean Water at Schools."

"Look at it! Look at it!" Pietro pointed to it furiously. "Do I get a mention? NOOOOOO!" 

"What does it say?" Todd asked.

"Bayville High Principal Edward Kelly was honored at a school board meeting last night for his discovery of hazardous materials in the school's water supply," Lance read. "He lead an investigation due to the strange taste in the water and complaints from several students. It was discovered that hazardous materials such as chlorine lead…"

"Skip that part!" Pietro fumed. "Read what he says at the bottom! Go on! Read it!" 

"Kelly stated:" Lance read. "It is my highest priority that all students have clean clear drinking water. Children need to be kept safe in our schools whether it's from violence or toxins. Parents have a right to know what goes on in our schools. Thanks to my efforts, I hope I have helped the children of our community in a small way."

"Why that…That…" Pietro fumed. "I'm the one who told him about the water! Me! The way he tells it you'd think that he found out all by himself!"

"Sounds like he's running for office or something," Todd looked at the paper and sniffed.

"I will get that so and so!" Pietro fumed and shouted as he raced out. "VENGEANCE WILL BE MINE!"

"Here we go again," Fred shook his head.

"The fun just never stops around here doesn't it?" Tabitha sighed.

****

What does Pietro plan for Kelly? Will Lance and Kitty get together again? Will Fred ever learn his history? Will this plot line ever end? Darned if I know. Tune in again as I try to figure out what happens next! 


End file.
